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According to an investigative report released by Reuters, the US government engaged in a covert operation during the COVID-19 pandemic to counter China’s influence in the Philippines.
The United States military launched this secret campaign in 2020 by creating fake internet accounts that impersonated Filipinos, morphing into an anti-vaccination movement.
This effort involved at least 300 accounts on X (formerly Twitter) that matched descriptions from former US military officials. These social media posts also criticized the quality of Chinese face masks, test kits, and the Sinovac vaccine, sowing doubt about their safety and efficacy. According to the report, the accounts used the hashtag #Chinaangvirus, which translates to “China is the virus.” Typical posts included messages like, “COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!” alongside images of syringes and Chinese flags.
The campaign aimed to undermine trust in China’s vaccines, particularly among Muslims, by amplifying claims that vaccines containing pork gelatin were forbidden under Islamic law. This initiative extended beyond Southeast Asia to Central Asia and the Middle East, leveraging fake social media profiles to spread fear and misinformation.
Despite social media companies removing these accounts upon discovery, the Pentagon’s anti-vaccine program continued into the early months of President Joe Biden’s administration. The Biden administration halted the campaign in the spring of 2021 following concerns from social media executives about the spread of COVID misinformation.
China & the Philippines react:
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the report and noted it was not new that the “US government manipulates” social media to spread misinformation for its own interests. A spokesman for the Philippines Department of Health said they also reviewed the report, which he said warranted an investigation.
